Continuous stationery feeding devices



1956 P. E. GOREHAM 3,283,874

CONTINUOUS STATIONERY FEEDING DEVICES Filed April 26, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 l N VEN TOR BY kg C34 1956 P. E. GOREHAM 3, ,8

CONTINUOUS STATIONERY FEEDING DEVICES Filed April 26, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN ENTOR ATro/zA/Ers Nov. 8, 1966 P. E. GOREHAM 3,283,874

CONTINUOUS STATIONERY FEEDING DEVICES Filed April 26, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Mal .13

,4 7704 was United States Patent 3,283,874 CONTINUOUS STATIONERY FEEDING DEVICES Peter Ernest Goreham, Hillborough, Herne Bay, England, assignor to Moore Business Forms, Inc, Niagara Falls, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 450,779 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 28, 1964,' 17,560/64 3 Claims. (Cl. 197-126) This invention has reference to devices for feeding webs of continuous stationery to a print unit of a tabulator or like machine or to a print unit associated with a computer system.

The invention has particular, but not exclusive reference to a device for feeding webs of continuous stationery comprising a plurality of record webs with marginal feed perforations and interleaved webs of material, for example, carbon transfer material, in which the record Webs are fed through the tabulator or like machine at a faster rate than the carbon transfer material. Such devices are sometimes referred to as controlled carbon form feed devices. Because the tabulator and like machines are somewhat costly and are therefore expensive to run, it is required that these machines shall operate continuously and hence any delay in loading the forms into the machine shall be reduced to the minimum.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved continuous stationery feeding device in which the time required for loading the continuous stationery into the tabulator or like machine is reduced.

According to the present invention a continuous stationery feeding device comprises a wheeled platform or dolly for supporting at least two record webs of continuous stationery means for mounting at least one transfer web and means for temporarily securing the record webs and transfer web in interleaved relationship ready for loading into the print unit or like machine.

A continuous stationery feeding device in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side View of a feeding device located in close association with a print unit of a computer.

FIG. 2 is a view of part of the feeding device shown in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 shows a view of a modified device similar to FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1 the form feeding device comprises a platform or dolly 1 to support a pack of record webs 2 of continuous stationery with marginal feed apertures. This platform 1 is mounted on rollers 3 so that the platform can easily be wheeled from one part of an office to another thereof. The platform 1 carries a pair of brackets 4 each having a funnel mouth attachment which is to 'be positioned on the side of the platform adjacent the print unit and so arranged that as the platform is wheeled closed to the print unit a complementary pair of posts 5 on the print unit will ride into the funnel mouth and serve to locate the platform accurately in position with respect to the tabulator.

At the printing position of the print unit 6 of the computer the record webs 2 are fed by a pair of tractor drive mechanisms 7, for example of the kind described in British patent specification No. 468,327, to Groves, complete specification accepted June 30, 1937, and based on the United States patent to Mabon No. 2,171,003. These tractor drive mechanisms 7 feed the record webs from the platform 1.

The platform 1 carries a pair of side plates 8 and between this pair of side plates are mounted a plurality 3,283,874 Patented Nov. 8, 1966 of rod mountings 9 for spools 10 on which a web of transfer material such as a web of carbon paper is wound. Each of these mountings 9 is connected to a drive shaft 11 and an electric motor 12 to drive the spools so that the transfer we'b will be released at a required speed. Further rods 13 are secured between the side plates and these rods serve as guide means for the record webs. The rods 13 carry guide disc wheels 13a mounted thereon on either side of the record webs which pass around the rods to guide the respective record webs from the pack of record webs 2 on the platform to the print unit of the computer.

A number of units each consisting of a transfer material mounting 9, '10 and guide rollers 14 for the transfer webs are mounted between the side plates 8 depending on the number of parts of continuous record stationery webs to be fed to the print unit 6. One unit will be required for each part ofthe transfer material required to be fed. Associated with each transfer material mounting is a drive mechanism which consists of a gear wheel 15 on the transfer material drive shaft 11 which is driven through a gear train from the electric motor 12. The electric motor has a variable speed control 16 so that the speed of feeding of the transfer webs through the device can 'be adjusted. The gear trains and drive shaft 11 serve to interconnect and to drive the plurality of transfer material drive shafts as required. The interleaved record webs and transfer webs are fed from the guide rods 13 to the print unit 6 in a straight line path.

A pair of brackets 17 are mounted at the top of the device and are spaced apart by a distance equivalent to the width of the continuous stationery to be fed. These brackets 17 extend away from the print unit and each bracket has near its end an extension part 18 with a pair of feed pins 19 mounted on each extension part. These feed pins are spaced apart a distance of one half of an inch, namely the distance between an adjacent pair of marginal feed perforations on the continuous stationery. These pins 19 are of involute profile and are the same size and shape as the feed pins on the feed tractor drive mechanism.

The pins 19 serve to temporarily secure the record webs with the interleaved transfer webs in position ready for loading directly onto the feed pins of the print unit or like machine. The leading end of the interleaved record and transfer webs may be secured together by stapling or adhesive.

The brackets 17 are capable of pivoting from their horizontal working position upwardly and then downwardly to the chain dotted line position as shown in FIG. 1.

A continuous stationery feeding device as above described is conveniently used in a system for feeding webs of continuous stationery to a print unit embodying a pair of tractor drive mechanisms 7 and in which the continuous stationery is fed past the printing position to the top of the print unit. The continuous stationery is then fed over the top of the print unit between parallel closely spaced guides 20, the respective record Webs of the continuous stationery :being fed between respective guides. The transfer webs are fed around the guides with the record webs around the transfer webs. The record webs and transfer webs are then fed over the print unit to a decollator a portion of the infeed of which is shown at 21. This decollator includes a plurality of compartments into one of which compartments a respective record web is fed and refolded. The carbon webs are fed between the compartments to fall into a waste compartment.

When a device as above described is to be used for feeding webs of continuous stationery to a print unit, the pack of record webs 2 is located on the platform 1. The transfer carbon webs 10- are mounted on the respective drive rod mountings 9 and these record webs and transfer webs are interleaved and the leading form length of the assembly is stapled together and has its marginal feed perforations impaled on the locating feed pins 19 on the top of the device. The device is wheeled up to the print unit when required and is located in position by the bracket 4 on the device engaging the complementary post 5 on the print unit. The leading form length is then detached from the locating pins 19 and located on the feed tractors 7 of the feed unit of the print unit. The print unit can then be quickly started up and information printed on the record webs as required. When the pack of record webs are nearly exhausted the machine is stopped, the record and transfer webs are detached and the trolley is wheeled away. A second trolley which has previously been loaded up with the record webs 2 and transfer webs 10 in interleaved relationship is then quickly loaded onto the tabulator as hereinbefore described and the tabulator can resume operational work in a short time.

As shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings the separate parts of the stationary record webs are located on the platform 1 in separate packs, one part being stacked in each pack. The record webs are then fed in between the respective transfer webs to the print position of the print unit 6.

What I claim is:

1. A web supply dolly for interchangeable temporary coupling to a form handling or treating machine to feed continuous business for-ms thereto, said dolly comprising a platform for the support of packs of at least two continuous record webs, means on said dolly for supporting a supply of transfer material comprising at least one web of such material, said record webs having feed holes along at least one margin for registry with the pin feed means in said machine, means on said dolly for preliminary gauging and temporarily securing the Webs in registering interleaved relationship while carried on the supply dolly prior to threading the combined webs into the pin feed means of the said machine, said gauging and securing means comprising a member having a pin extending therefrom for passage through registering feed holes in the several webs, and means for moving said member to and from an inoperative or idle position.

2. The supply dolly as set forth in claim 1 in which said record webs have feed holes along both margins and said gauging and securing means comprises a pair of brackets carrying the registering pins, and means are provided for pivoting said brackets for swinging movement to and from a position presenting the register pins for ready placement of the perforated webs by the operator.

3. The supply dolly as set forth in claim 2 in which the feed through the said machine is in a straight line, and in which said dolly and a portion of said machine are provided with mating temporary locking means for accurately positioning the dolly for proper presentation of the continuous webs to the machine, said locking means providing a frictional snapping engagement of the parts involved. 1

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 754,435 3/1904 Dufur l97-l34 1,106,612 8/1914 Avery n 197-133 1,699,642 1/1929 Waldheim 197-126 2,045,618 6/1936 Sherman et al. 197134 2,273,162 2/1942 Willard 270-525 2,467,135 4/1949 Jensen 197-434 2,821,284 1/1958 Garwood et a1. l97134 FOREIGN PATENTS 448,354 5/ 1948 Canada. 733,644 7/1955 Great Britain. 802,676 10/1958 Great Britain.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

E. WRIGHT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A WEB SUPPLY DOLLY FOR INTERCHANGEABLE TEMPORARY COUPLING TO A FORM HANDLING OR TREATING MACHINE TO FEED CONTINUOUS BUSINESS FORMS THERETO, SAID DOLLY COMPRISING A PLATFORM FOR THE SUPPORT OF PACKS OF AT LEAST TWO CONTINUOUS RECORD WEBS, MEANS ON SAID DOLLY FOR SUPPORTING A SUPPLY OF TRANSFER MATERIAL COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE WEB OF SUCH MATERIAL, SAID RECORD WEBS HAVING FEED HOLES ALONG AT LEAST ONE MARGIN FOR REGISTRY WITH THE PIN FEED MEANS IN SAID MACHINE, MEANS ON SAID DOLLY FOR PRELIMINARY GAUGING AND TEMPORARILY SECURING THE WEBS IN REGISTERING INTERLEAVED RELATIONSHIP WHILE CARRIED ON THE SUPPLY DOLLY PRIOR TO THREADING THE COMBINED WEBS INTO THE PIN FEED MEANS OF THE SAID MACHINE, SAID GAUGING AND SECURING MEANS COMPRISING A MEMBER HAVING A PIN EXTENDING THEREFROM FOR PASSAGE THROUGH REGISTERING FEED HOLES IN THE SEVERAL WEBS, AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID MEMBER TO AND FROM AN INOPERATIVE OR IDLE POSITION. 